A very special family walking holiday through the Guadarrama National Park as your kids fall in love with their furry friend!

A unique walking holiday tailor-made for families, a chance for you to have a fun adventure together, make lasting memories and enjoy your family while we take care of the logistics.

Let us make this a stress-free holiday for you all! All meals included (daily picnic lunch), transfers to and from Segovia and luggage move daily. It couldn't be easier!

Well-trained, docile donkeys with saddle and bridle so that the kids can ride when they get tired. You also have panniers for carrying your picnic... So that you can travel light!

You'll all fall in love with your equine friend! The kids will walk happily for miles beside their donkey. They won't want to say goodbye.

Family-friendly hotels all with or near swimming pools!

A carefully hand-picked route following ancient drove roads through idilic pastoral countryside on the Northdern slopes of the Guadarrama National Park.

Look out for deer, wild-boar and even the elusive iberian wolf as eagles, kites and rare black vultures spiral overhead in this protected haven for wildlife.

Discover centuries old villages with narrow cobbled streets and the timeless beauty of Romanesque churches and Moorish castles as you walk.

Unmissable opportunity of extra nights to visit Segovia, Unesco World Heritage Site. An enchanting city where the kids will love the Roman Aqueduct and the turreted castle the 'Alcazar', reputedly the inspiration for Walt Disney's Cinderella's castle!

Travel:

Which airport should I fly to? Madrid International Airport.How do I get to the Starting Point? Catch an AVE (High Speed Train) from Madrid to Segovia (12,20€, takes 25mins). From here we take you to the starting point for free (30 min private transfer)How do I get back? Again, we´ll include the final transfer from Gallegos to Segovia for free so that you can catch an AVE (High Speed Train) back into Madrid (12,20€, takes 25mins).

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival to Navafria

In the foothills of the Guadarrama Mountains. This being Spain, you will have time for a swim in the local natural pool of the river Cega where you can enjoy an apperitivo in the little river-side bar under the pine trees or have a walk around this pretty village before dinner.

Day 2: Circular route in Navafria

This morning you'll meet your friendly donkey and will be shown how to handle and look after him! You then set off on your family adventure! You'll walk towards the mountains on an excursion into the aromatic pine woodland of Navafria and its famous waterfall "el Chorro". Don't forget your swimsuit today, you'll have plenty of opportunities for a refreshing dip. On your return, you'll put your donkey into his asigned field and the kids can give him his dinner.5 miles (8 Km)

Day 3: Navafria to Requijada

The kids will be eager to say good morning to their donkey and get him ready as you all head along the ancient "Cañada Real Segoviana" towards the hill-side hamlet of Requijada. Today’s walk takes you along the River Cega and through the picture postcard village of Valle de San Pedro. There'll be lots of pretty picnic possibilities along the way! You pass the ancient church of San Justo y Pastor and walk through the tiny hamlet of La Mata where there is a little park for the kids. From here, an old drovers’ trail will lead you along a very picturesque route into Requijada. Your four-legged friend will spend the night in the grounds of the hotel. The kids can have a dip in the pool before dinner.9,3 miles (15 Km)

Day 4: Requijada to Pedraza

After breakfast, you’ll collect your picnic and get your donkey ready. Then you’ll take a tiny country lane which takes you across the same river valley as yesterday. Then you head up into the hills where you’ll pick up a drovers’ trail past a local cattle ranch. See who can be first to spot the hill-top village of Pedraza in the distance with its honey-coloured city walls and medieval castle. As you enter this beautifully preserved monumental village through its ancient stone archway, you’ll be transported back in time to a by gone era of knights and maidens! With a donkey as your trusty steed!! 8,7 miles (14 Km)

Day 5: Pedraza to Gallegos

After the kids have given their donkey some breakfast in his little enclosure beside the hotel, it will be time to set off on the next step of your adventure. This morning, you’ll leave Pedraza, passing an ancient monastery and take a new agricultural track with delightful views of the distant mountain villages nestled in the foothills of the ‘Sierra de Guadarrama’ before you. You’ll pass through two very quaint limestone villages today where you can enjoy a snack and a cold drink in the terrace of one of the local bar/restaurants. When you reach your destination, the tiny hamlet of Gallegos, the kids will probably want to jump straight into the pool as you relax in the shade with a chilled drink in hand! 7,4 miles (12 Km)

Day 6: Gallegos to Navafria

By now, the kids will be experts in getting their donkey ready in the mornings! Pack your picnic in your panniers and set off towards the mountain village of Navafría, where the adventure began! You’ll have another opportunity for a dip in the natural river pool! Make sure the kids gets plenty of time to say a loving farewell to their treasured companion and newest best friend, before local farmer and donkey enthusiast, Luis comes to take the donkey home! 5 miles (8 Km)

Day 7: Departure or extra nights

Return home today?? Make sure you take the opportunity of extra nights in Segovia, the kids will love it! Or, why not visit Madrid and get to know our capital city.

*All outdoor swimming pools are subject to seasonal opening times and are weather dependent!

ACCOMMODATION

Navafría

A mountain village house renovated in rustic style. 14 cosy bedrooms traditionally decorated. Restaurant, garden, a comfortable living room, run by a local family. Nearby natural swimming pool in the river Cega.

Requijada

Traditional building in an isolated village of extraordinary beauty. Only four double rooms with all the creature comforts and decorated to a high standard with a lot of attention to detail. In-house restaurant and small indoor and outdoor swimming pool. English spoken by your friendly hosts.

Pedraza

Located in the beautifully preserved medieval town of Pedraza, this rural hotel combines comfort with old Castilian rustic style. Ten very comfortable rooms and dining room, beautiful inner courtyard and bar. English not spoken, but friendly staff very willing to understand.

Gallegos

Small rural hotel full of character. Eleven comfortable bedrooms, imaginatively decorated. Common areas include dining room, living room, terrace and garden. Small outdoor swimming pool.

OUR DONKEYS

Galindo, Ligoncete, Marina, Gordito, Madrileño… Our donkeys live in the Guadarrama Mountains and are experienced trekking companions. They are tall donkeys of a Spanish race called Zamorano: docile, tranquil animals of unexpected intelligence! You will be surprised at how well they keep a good pace and how they can carry the children without complaint!

MODERATE PLUS

Reviews

We had a great time...

... our donkey Gorthito was lovely and very docile carrying my lazy daughter Annie most of the way. Away from the Crowds were great, helping us to recover our luggage when it didn’t appear at Madrid airport and taking us to buy essentials, and all the transfers and hotel stays were very well organised. I would have no hesitation in recommending this company if you want a holiday that is a little out of the ordinary. Thanks, Jo Bamford.

We have just had an incredible...

...family holiday with Away from the crowds, donkey trekking in the Sierra de Guadarrama, near Segovia. The organisation of the holiday was seamless; Away from the crowds staff were fantastic; the landscapes were beautiful; the hotel accommodation and food were excellent, and the donkeys were lovely. The holiday was ambitious for us, as I have Multiple Sclerosis and have very limited mobility, and we also have two small children (5 and 2). But from the moment we first made contact with Jaime, nothing was too much trouble. Jaime, Jorge and Sylvia did everything within their power to help us manage the holiday and make it a huge, fun success. They gave us all the extra support we needed, from booking ground floor bedrooms, to helping us figure out a system to get me up on the donkey, to meeting us out on the road if a day's trek was too far for us. Jorge was only ever a phonecall away if we needed assistance. In fact, our 2 year old son is still missing Jorge, and keeps asking for him! My husband had downloaded the IGN Mapas de España app before we went, and downloaded hiking maps and aerial photos of the Navafría area using the app. We would recommend anyone doing the donkey trek to do this. The maps are an excellent resource, and are free to download. Away from the crowds supplied us with the file containing the GPS track/route map of the donkey trek, and we were able to view this on the IGN app. This meant that, using a smartphone, we were always able to see where we were on (or off!) the route, and this was certainly a big help for any patches that were tricky to navigate. It was also a crucial tool for a family travelling with only one able bodied adult! I would highly recommend this holiday to other families, especially those who enjoy getting off the beaten track and seeing rural Spain. We hope to return another year for some more donkey adventures! Sarah Conroy.

We all had a fantastic time...

...and have been recommending the holiday to our friends. It probably exceeded our expectations and I can’t think of anywhere it fell down. One suggestion I would make is to make it clear when the donkeys would be taken away on the last day – I think they would have liked to see them again. Liam Flavelle.

CO2 footprint offsetting

This holiday produces a carbon footprint of 0,4228 tonnes of CO2. (The calculation includes taxis, luggage transfers and accommodation for every traveller).

We will compensate the CO2 footprint for each booking through tropical reforestation projects in collaboration with the CeroCO2 platform.